Obama to N.H. voters: 'You were the change'

Friday

Sep 7, 2012 at 1:12 PMSep 11, 2012 at 5:27 PM

PORTSMOUTH — Hoping to carry forward the momentum of his appearance last night at the Democratic National Convention, President Barack Obama brought a message of middle class prosperity to voters in Portsmouth Friday.

From STAFF REPORTS

PORTSMOUTH — Hoping to carry forward the momentum of his appearance last night at the Democratic National Convention, President Barack Obama brought a message of middle class prosperity to voters in Portsmouth Friday.

During a speech at Strawbery Banke Museum, Obama appealed to voters to return him to office for another four years, and to renew the optimism that helped carry him to the White House during the last election.

"You were the change," Obama said, repeating a refrain from his convention speech on Thursday night.

Obama said voters are facing the starkest choice between candidates in a generation, and said Democrats are fighting to restore the "basic bargain" that allowed the country's middle class and economy to thrive.

"I don't believe that if you can't afford health insurance, you're on your own," Obama said. "If companies release toxic pollution in the air that your children breathe, that somehow that's a requirement for economic growth. I don't believe that if you can't afford to go college, that the best we can tell you is 'Borrow money from your parents.' That's not who we are," Obama said. "That's not what this country's about." Spectators arrived by the bus load to Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, where Obama addressed an estimated crowd of 6,000.

Obama touched down at Pease Air Force Base shortly after noon and traveled by motorcade to the museum grounds.

Obama was joined in Portsmouth by Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The vice president was introduced shortly after 12:30 p.m. by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. He He recounted Obama's DNC speech, and told audience members the president has the courage to make tough calls on areas ranging from education to health care and ending the war in Iraq.

"I know this guy," Biden said. "He has courage in his soul. He has compassion in his heart, and he has a spine of steel." Thousands had amassed at the museum by 10:30 a.m. ahead of the presidential visit. Portsmouth public schools were closed Friday in anticipation of the event, and a network of roads around the museum were shutdown between Thursday and Friday morning. Pierce island was also closed to vehicle traffic. Spectators were being asked to park at Pease International Tradeport and take shuttle buses to the grounds.

A row of metal bleachers capable of accommodating hundreds was assembled on one side of the rectangular field. Stage lights were directed toward a stage in front of the Lowd House, a yellow Federal Period building dating to the early 1800s, which served as the backdrop for the president's speech.

"It's amazing," museum spokeswoman Stephanie Seacord said Friday morning. "The team has set all this up in a week. It's like Santa Claus — overnight, transforming the site." Friday's event marks Obama's fourth trip to New Hampshire of the year, and his third campaign appearance in this pocket of the state since June. Obama has also held campaign events at Oyster River Middle School in Durham in June and in Rochester and Windham on Aug. 18.

Although New Hampshire will only deliver four electoral votes during November's general election, both campaigns have placed value in campaigning in New Hampshire, which is viewed as one of a handful of places where both candidates are still in competition.

Hoping to provide a parallel to Obama's remarks in New Hampshire, Romney is also scheduled to speak in the state Friday. He will speak at an event in Nashua Friday evening, according to the Romney campaign.

By 9:30 a.m., a line blocks away from Strawbery Banke snaked around the city. Hundreds anxiously waited outside the museum grounds for a chance to view the president.

Locals Andrea Donaldson, of Newmarket, and Nicole Pollack, who has lived in Portsmouth for nine years, patiently waited in line, saying there were thrilled to see the president, and even more excited the line was moving so swiftly.

"We only got here 30 minutes ago," Pollack said, noting her parents waited three hours in line earlier in the week to grab free tickets to the event.

Further up the road, at the intersection of Pleasant and Court streets, a flock of Gov. Romney supporters gathered around the crowded sidewalks. Norm Olsen, a Portsmouth resident for 10 years, held a sign in the style of Shephard Fairey's iconic "HOPE" image with President Obama in blue and red, only Olsen's poster had the word "FAILED" slapped across it.

"We heard so many promises," Olsen said. "... I couldn't make it to Nashua today so I'm doing my work here." Over on Daniel Street, John's Barber Shop, with owner John Russo's ultra-conservative posters hanging on the wall, was buzzing. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) had reportedly just visited the small business. Her office is working to confirming her schedule for the remainder of the day.

Portsmouth resident James Reilley, 78, who has visited John's for a haircut religiously for the last 12 years, said he brought holy water with him, to splash his wife before she headed off to the president's speech. Reilley said he headed to John's to catch Ayotte and joked about his wife's liberal tendencies. Barber Jay Foley recorded some of Ayotte's speech on his iPhone.

A clip showed Ayotte ripping Obama's acceptance speech for the presidential nomination during last night's closing Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Ayotte said Obama never addressed the question directly in his speech: "Are you better off today?"